The brother of a young woman who overdosed on fentanyl last year hopes his sister’s death and the case ending up before the courts raises awareness about substance abuse.
Cameron Clairmont was pronounced dead on Nov. 2, 2018 at an apartment building along the Bedford Highway. She was only 19 years old.
Cameron’s brother Sebastien says he learned about his sister’s death through a phone call from police.
“I cried for a good long time,” he said. “Called my mom immediately after, tried to figure out what we should do.
“But going home after that was pretty much a nightmare.”
It took a while for Sebastien and his family to learn how Cameron died. But when they did, Sebastien says it didn’t come as a surprise.
“I remember asking one of the police officers straight up if it was a drug overdose or if it was addictions-related,” he said.
“They couldn’t tell me anything at the time, so that made me angry but I guess I kind of assumed that that’s what it was.”
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After a year-long wait for answers, there’s finally been some movement in the case.
Jesse Arthur Simpson, Cameron’s previous boyfriend, was formally charged in her death last week. He’s been charged with manslaughter, criminal negligence causing death, possession of cocaine and fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking.
Sebastien was surprised when he learned of the charges, specifically because he didn’t think anything was going to be done about it.
“We didn’t really expect anything from this,” he said. “We had all suspected something fishy had gone on and I had my own theories about it. I think we didn’t expect anything to be done by the legal system.”
Sebastien says Simpson came from a good family, adding that his mother is one of the founding members of a group in Barrington, N.S., concerned with drug use.
“Someone got him addicted. Someone got him hooked on something. It’s the same as Cameron,” he said.
“I would like to hate him, but I can’t because I see him as a victim as well.”
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For a while, Sebastien was hoping some form of justice would be served. But now that charges have been laid, he says he’s conflicted.
“None of this feels good. There aren’t any winners, because if Jesse goes to jail, maybe that’s justice, but I know his family is full of excellent people,” he said.
“I don’t want his life to be ruined. I don’t want his life to be over. I don’t want my sister’s life to be over.
“I thought justice would be a good thing. It just means more ruined lives.”
Sebastien hopes his sister is remembered as the kind-hearted woman she was, but also hopes her death reaffirms the importance of Naloxone kits.
“They’re free at almost every single pharmacy in Nova Scotia. It doesn’t matter who you are, it doesn’t matter who you think that you know who might be using drugs, because you could wake up one morning and you have a family member dead.”